Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“I had it handled,” I said, lowering my voice. “Even before Cian got there.”
“Somethin’ like that happens again, you come find me.”
“You were asleep.”
“You come find me,” he repeated.
“I will,” I said in exasperation. “We cool?”
“You’re a pain in my ass,” he muttered, grabbing a rag off the workbench to wipe off his hands. “Just like your mother.”
“Aw, Dad,” I sang, clasping my hands under my chin. “That’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“Smartass.” He grinned and slung an arm over my shoulders. “Come on, I need a beer.”
“Mom wants us to stay for dinner,” I said, walking in step with him as we headed toward the front door.
“Oh, yeah? What’s she makin’?”
“No clue. I thought you’d know.”
“I never know anythin’ around here,” he complained. “I came home the other day, and she was tryin’ to peel beadboard off the walls in the hallway—she tell you that?”
“Nope.” I huffed out a laugh.
“It was a goddamn mess.”
“Sounds like it.”
“Keeps me on my toes, though,” he said, grinning as he let me go.
“You’ll never be bored,” I agreed, following him up the porch steps.
“Woman, what’s for dinner?” Dad called out obnoxiously as he threw open the front door.
“Make your own fucking dinner,” Mom shouted back. “You’ve got two hands and a semi-functional brain!”
“Shit. I’m gonna have to order somethin’,” Dad muttered. He stomped toward the kitchen.
“I got new curtains for the bedroom,” my mom announced cheerfully.
“Well, thank God,” my dad said dryly, walking straight for her.
“You could be a little excited.”
“We’ve got fuckin’ blinds in our bedroom,” he replied, reaching for her.
“Shield your eyes,” I yelled dramatically as he pulled her in for a kiss.
Frankie laughed like a lunatic as I threw my hand in front of my face.
“I think it’s cute,” Lou said dreamily.
“Ugh.” I peeked through my fingers, and my dad’s hands were still gripping my mom’s ass. “That’s not cute. Hands to ourselves, people!”
Mom giggled and danced away from Dad.
“Weren’t you headed back to your own house?” Dad asked me, hands on his hips. “I swear you said somethin’ about not bein’ hungry.”
“This will always be my house, and I’m starving,” I shot back.
“That’s right,” my mom agreed. “Tommy, order some food, would you?”
I laughed when my dad’s eyes met mine, his face expressionless.
For the next hour, with my parents playing grab-ass and my friends lapping up their particular brand of crazy, I barely thought of Cian at all.
Well, I pretended anyway.
The next morning, I called Mom to tell her she owed me ten dollars and a silk robe.
Chapter 6
Cian
I was barely able to drag Aoife out of the hospital when Aunt Ashley and Ronan showed up the next morning. She was adamant that she wanted to be there if Richie woke up, but after a day and a half of no sleep, she just didn’t have it in her to fight me. Saoirse had gone back earlier, and I had serious doubts about Aoife’s ability to stay conscious on the back of my bike, but thankfully we got there without incident.
After crashing hard for a few hours, I woke up to my nephew’s nose just inches from mine.
“You sleepin’?” he asked. “Uncle Cian, you sleepin’?”
“I was,” I grouched, pulling him onto the couch with me. “You little gremlin.”
“I not a gremnin,” he argued, shoving at my chest. “I a boy.”
“Sorry, you’re right.”
“Auntie made me lunch,” he informed me, grinning.
“Mac and cheese?” I asked with a laugh. The evidence was all over his chin.
“And hot dogs,” Sean confirmed. “You want some?”
“Nah, I’m good,” I replied, setting him back on his feet.
“Seanie,” Saoirse scolded, hurrying out of the kitchen. “I told you not to wake Uncle.”
“Him awake,” Sean lied.
I snickered.
“Sorry,” she apologized as I sat up and scrubbed my hands over my face. “I was trying to let you sleep.”
“Is E still here?” I glanced toward her bedroom, keeping my voice down.
I shouldn’t have bothered. Saoirse shook her head.
“She left about twenty minutes ago.”
“Why didn’t she wake me?”
I pushed to my feet with a groan.
“She wanted you to get some sleep,” Saoirse replied sympathetically.
“She shouldn’t be drivin’ by herself.”
“She’s fine,” Saoirse said, glancing at Sean. “Ronan already texted that she was there, and he was headed back to his apartment to shower.”
“He couldn’t have showered when he went home last night?”
Saoirse just threw her hands up in a how-the-hell-would-I-know gesture.
“Speakin’ of showerin’,” I muttered, sniffing my pits. It wasn’t bad—yet—but I wouldn’t make it another day. “I need one. You wanna help me get some stuff out of my bags?” I asked Sean.
“Yeah!”
I always kept a spare shirt, boxers, deodorant, and toothbrush in my saddlebags. I’d learned the hard way that things didn’t always go as planned, and it was good to have something to change into. I let Sean pull things out of the bag and was seriously relieved that he was still young enough to not have any idea what the strip of condoms were when he reached the bottom.